Samuel fox



(No Model.)

i3. FOX.

APPARATUS FOR ANNEALING WIRE AND METAL IN OTHER FORMS.

No. 310,402. Patented-Jan. 6 1886.

UNTTen STATEs PATENT @FFICE.

SAMUEL FOX, OF 110 GLOUCESTER PLACE, COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR ANNEALING WlRE AND METAL 5N OTHER FORMS.

5;) 'IEGIEFECATEQIC forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,402, datedJanuary 6, 1885.

Application tiled May 15 1584. (No model.) Patenu d in England Xovrmbl r5, 1883, No. 5,234; in France May 5,1884, No. 101,901; in Belgium May 7,18H], No. (5.0310, in Germany May H, 1584, No. 201751; ing\llFLliil-1Illllgal' September 2, i l-8i, No. 18.025 and T0 (t5!) 10.1.0171, it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL Fox, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain,residing at 110 Gloucester Place, in the county of Middlesex, England,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forAnnealing \Vire and Metal in other Forms, (for which I have receivedLetters Patent in Great Britain, No. 5, 234, dated November 5, 1883; inFrance, No. 161,901, dated Mayo,

1884; in Belgium, No. 65,090, dated May 7, 1881; in Germany, No. 29,779,dated May 11,

1884; in Austria, No. 18,025, dated Scptenr her 2, 188i, and in Hungary,No. 39,046, dated September 2, 1884,) of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus forannealing wire and metal in other forms. For this purpose I cmploy afurnace har'ing two chambers heated by flame. Flame is caused to ascendin one of the chambcrs,which I call the heating-chamher, and in theother chamber, which I call the cooling-chamber, the cooler but stillhighlyhealed productsofcombustion descend. and they then pass out into ailuc. Each of the furnace-chambers contains two or it may be othernumber of cylinders set vertically. Every cylinder stands upon aturn-table let into the bottom of the furnace, and kept in rotation bygearing beneath. These cylinders remain permanently in the furnace,'andthey receive within them other removable cylinders, serving as boxes,and in which the coils of wire or metal to be annealed are packed. I11packing the coils I insert also into the cylindrical box a central blockor dummycylinder, which is of a size to receive the coils around it. Thedummy-cylinder serves to displace air from the box, and is otherwiseuseful. These boxes, when packed and closed, are dropped down into thecylinders contained in the heating-chamber, one box into each cylinder.For this purpose there are movable covers upon the top of the furnace.The boxes remain in the cylinders for some hours until sufficiently hot,and they are then lifted out of the cylinder in the heating-chamber andplaced at once in the cylinders in the cooling chamber. Other boxespacked like the first are then put into the cylinders of theheatingchamber, and the furnace is closed. WVhen the time comes forremoving these boxes in turn, the boxes in the cylinder of thecoolingchambcr will be ready to be removed out of the furnace. packed.tinuously, and it is unnecessary to cool the furnace except for repairs.

It is often convenient to replace the dummycylinder by an innercylindrical box containing smaller coils within it, and in the center ofthese coils a small dummy-cylinder may be placed, if desired.

It is convenient that the draft of the furnace should be upward in theheating-chamber and downward in the cooling-chamber; but this may bevaried.

in some cases I makethc furnace with three chambers in place of two, andso I can provide for a longer and more complete cooling.

In order that my said invention may be most fully understood and readilycarried into effect, I will proceed to describe the drawings hereuntoannexed.

Figure 1 is a vertical section, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section, ofan annealing-furnace with apparatus arranged in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 3 is a vertical section, and Fig. A- is a plan, of anannealing'eylinder as arranged to receive several annealingboxes ofsmall size. Fig. 5 is a section of one of the anuealingboxes.

A A are the walls of the furnace.

B is a fire-chamber where fuel is burned 'for heating the furnace; orthe furnace may be heated by the combustion of gas.

C is the outlet-flue. The body of the furnacc is divided into twocompartments, D D by a central partition, D. The flame and heat edproducts of combustion from the fire ascend on one side of the partitionD in the compartment D, and they descend on the other side in thecompartment D.

E is a dome which closes in the furnacechamber at the top. At the bottomofthefurmace-chamber four turntables, 1* F, are arranged. They aremounted upon the upper ends of the four vertical axes Gr G.

ll 11 are rollers which aid in supporting They may then be at once unvIn this way the work goes on con these turn-tables, so that they may berotated with facility. The rotary motion is imparted to them by ahorizontal axis, K, 011 which are worms K K, which gear with worm-wheelsG G, fixed upon the vertical axis Gr.

. L L are sand-troughs let in at the bottom of the furnaeechamber, andlips or inverted flanges F F upon the turn-tables F dip int-o the sandcontained in these troughs, and so maintain close joints at the lowerpart of the furnace-chamber.

M M are the annealirig-cylinders, into which are placed the boxes N N,containing the coils of wire or other metal articles to be annealed.

M M are the covers of the annealing-cylinders, closing themapproximately air-tight.

O O are dummy-cylinders inserted in the center of the annealing-boxeswith the object of displacing air.

The method of working is as already described. The box containingthewire or articles to be annealed is placed first in one or other of theannealin-gcylinders in the heating-compartment D of the furnace-chamber,and when it has remained there a sufficient time to have becomethoroughly and equably heated it is removed and placed in one of thecylinders in the other compartment,D ofthe t'urnace'chani ber, and hereit is allowed to remain while other boxes are heated in the cylinderscontained in the compartment 1).

E E are the movable covers uponthe dome E. They are provided to admit ofthe introduction of the annealing-boxes and their trans fer from onecylinder to another, as stated above.

p is a by-ilue to divert the draft from the fire while theannealing-chamber is open. A damper is provided in this, and also in themain fine, and when the annealing-chamber is open for recharging thedamper in the main flue is closed and that in the by-flue is opened.

Where the coils to be annealed are comparatively small in diameter, Iplace three separate annealing-boxes in each cylinder in place of oneonly, and as well as rotating the cylinder itself I cause each of theannealingboxes within to be rotated also. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionshowing this arrangement, and Fig. etis a horizontal section.

M is the annealing-cylinder, standing 011 a turn-table, F, and G is theaxis upon which these parts are mounted. The axis G is retated by meansof a worm and a worm-wheel upon it, as already described. The axis,however, in this case is hollow, and a stationary stem, P, passes upthrough it and into the annealing-cylinder. The stem P has a pinion, P,fixed upon it at its upper end within the annealirig-cylinder, and eachannealing-box N has a corresponding pinion, N, fixed upon it at itslower end and gearing with the central pinion.

Q Q are studs in the turn-table F, upon which the pinions l N and theannealing boxes N, to which they are attached, revolve, rotary motionbeing impartedto them about the studs by the stationary central pinion,1?, about which they are carried by the rotation of theannealing-cylinder.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through one of the annealing-boxes. Itshows coils of wire therein, and a dummy-cylinder, O, in the center. Bythe use of the dummy-cylinders air is to a certain extent displaced fromthe interior of the annealing-boxes.

As already stated,the dummy-cylinder may in some cases be itself anannealing-box containing coils of wire of small diameter.

Having thus described the nature of my said invention and the manner ofperforming the same. I would have it understood that I claim- 1. Thearrangement of annealing furnaces and apparatus, as herein described,the body of the furnace being divided into two compartments, serving theone as a heating and the other as a cooling chamber, and containinganhealing-cylinders to which a rotary n1o tion is imparted,substantially as herein described.

2. The arrangement of annealing furnaces and apparatus consisting of anannealingchamber containing rotating annealing-cylinders, each receivingwithinit an annealing-box which approximately iits it, and whichcontains coils of wire to be annealed, substan tially as described.

3. The combination, in annealing apparatus essentially such asdescribed, of rotating annealingcylinders, annealing-boxes within saidcylinders, and dummycylinders within the annealing-boxes, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

SAMUEL FOX.

\Vitnesses:

JAMES \VILLIs,

Rosendalc, Bournemouth, Heats. JonN DEAN,

17 Graccchurch Street, London.

